U.S. patent number 6,990,332 [Application Number 09/919,404] was granted by the patent office on 2006-01-24 for method and system for transmitting subscriber-specific information in a telecommunication system.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Sonera Oyj. Invention is credited to Seppo Vihinen.
United States Patent |
6,990,332 |
Vihinen |
January 24, 2006 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Method and system for transmitting subscriber-specific information
in a telecommunication system
Abstract
The inventive method and system enable an increase in the amount
of information that may be transmitted from a call-initiating first
telecommunication terminal to an automated application or device or
machine or the like in conjunction with the call request. The
content of the A-number field to be transmitted from a
conversion/transmission center to a destination second
telecommunication terminal is modified by adding control
information to the A-number field. This control information is used
to control an actuating device that is connected to the second
telecommunication terminal and which operates or forms a part of
the automated application or device or machine.
Inventors: |
Vihinen; Seppo (Vantaa,
FI) |
Assignee: |
Sonera Oyj (Helsinki,
FI)
|
Family
ID: |
8553576 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/919,404 |
Filed: |
July 31, 2001 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20020022477 A1 |
Feb 21, 2002 |
|
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 2, 1999 [FI] |
|
|
990193 |
Jan 31, 2000 [WO] |
|
|
PCT/FI00/00063 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
455/414.1;
379/142.04; 379/216.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M
3/42042 (20130101); H04M 11/007 (20130101); H04Q
3/72 (20130101); H04Q 11/0435 (20130101); H04M
3/42059 (20130101); H04M 3/42068 (20130101); H04M
3/42348 (20130101); H04M 2242/15 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04M
3/42 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;379/142.01,142.02,142.03,142.04,142.05,142.06,142.14,142.13,93.12,201,355,216
;455/414 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
972323 |
|
Dec 1998 |
|
FI |
|
WO 97/29584 |
|
Aug 1997 |
|
WO |
|
WO 99/03252 |
|
Jan 1999 |
|
WO |
|
Primary Examiner: Tsang; Fan
Assistant Examiner: Anwah; Olisa
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Cohen, Pontani, Lieberman &
Pavane
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In a method for transmitting subscriber-specific information in
a telecommunication system that includes a telecommunication
network, a conversion/transmission center connected to the
telecommunication network, a first telecommunication terminal
having an associated A-number and connected to the
conversion/transmission center through the telecommunication
network, a second telecommunication terminal having an associated
B-number and connected to the conversion/transmission center
through the telecommunication network, and an actuating device
connected to the second telecommunication terminal, wherein
connection-specific information is transmitted from the first
telecommunication terminal to the second telecommunication terminal
to effect a call from the first telecommunication terminal, and
subscriber-specific optional parameters are added to a dialing
string sent to the conversion/transmission center from the first
telecommunication terminal to initiate the call such that the
dialing string includes at least the B-number and the
subscriber-specific optional parameters, the improvement comprising
the steps of: sending a dialing string including the B-number and
subscriber-specific optional parameters from the first
telecommunication terminal to the conversion/transmission center to
initiate the call; determining, at the conversion/transmission
center, the B-number and the subscriber-specific optional
parameters from the dialing string received from the first
telecommunication terminal; modifying an A-number field to be
transmitted from the conversion/transmission center in the
telecommunication network to the second telecommunication terminal
in connection with the call by one of adding control information to
the A-number field and replacing the A-number field with the
control information, the control information comprising at least a
portion of the subscriber-specific optional parameters in the
dialing string sent to the conversion/transmission center from the
first telecommunication terminal to initiate the call; and
controlling the actuating device in accordance with the control
information contained in the modified A-number field.
2. In a method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the
step of adding to the A-number field, in the
conversion/transmission center, information dependent on one of a
geographic location of the first telecommunication terminal, time
and other factors.
3. In a method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the
step of transmitting the control information added to the A-number
field in conjunction with a call request.
4. In a method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the
step of transmitting to the first telecommunication terminal a
confirmation of execution of a control request defined by the
control information for controlling the actuating device.
5. In a method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the
steps of transmitting to the first telecommunication terminal, by
answering of the call at the second telecommunication terminal, a
confirmation of execution of a control request defined by the
control information for controlling the actuating device.
6. In a system for transmitting subscriber-specific information in
a telecommunication system that includes a telecommunication
network, a conversion/transmission center connected to the
telecommunication network, a first telecommunication terminal
having an associated A-number and connected to the
conversion/transmission center through the telecommunication
network, a second telecommunication terminal having an associated
B-number and connected to the conversion/transmission center
through the telecommunication network, and an actuating device
connected to the second telecommunication terminal, wherein system
information is transmitted from the first telecommunication
terminal to the second telecommunication terminal to effect a call
from the first telecommunication terminal, and subscriber-specific
optional parameters are added to a dialing string sent to the
conversion/transmission center from the first telecommunication
terminal to initiate the call such that the dialing string includes
at least the B-number and the subscriber-specific optional
parameters, the improvement comprising: means for sending a dialing
string including the B-number and subscriber-specific optional
parameters from the first telecommunication terminal to the
conversion/transmission center to initiate the call; means for
determining, at the conversion/transmission center, the B-number
and the subscriber-specific optional parameters from the dialing
string received from the first telecommunication terminal: means
for modifying an A-number field to be transmitted from the
conversion/transmission center in the telecommunication network to
the second telecommunication terminal in connection with the call
by adding control information to the A-number field, the control
information comprising at least a portion of subscriber-specific
optional parameters in the dialing string sent to the
conversion/transmission center from the first telecommunication
terminal to initiate the call; and means for controlling the
actuating device in accordance with the control information
contained in the modified A-number field.
7. In a system in accordance with claim 6, further comprising means
for adding to the A-number field information dependent on one of a
geographic location of the first telecommunication terminal, time
and other factors.
8. In a system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the
conversion/transmission center comprises a telephone exchange.
9. In a system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the
conversion/transmission center comprises a message center.
10. In a system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the
conversion/transmission center comprises a voice response unit.
11. In a system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the first
telecommunication terminal comprises a mobile station.
12. In a system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the second
telecommunication terminal comprises a mobile station.
13. In a system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the first
telecommunication terminal comprises a telephone apparatus in a
public switched telephone network.
14. In a system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the second
telecommunication terminal comprises a numerical display device.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to telecommunication systems and, in
particular, to a method and system for enabling an increased volume
of information flow between telecommunication terminals.
2. Description of Related Art
Dialing information in the public switched telephone network (PSTN)
was at first generated in the form of pulses. This manner of
operation did not however allow the transmission of call-specific
supplementary information. Next to be used after pulse dialing, and
still commonly in use, is tone frequency dialing. As compared with
pulse dialing, tone frequency dialing advantageously provides for
faster dialing and the ability to send supplementary information
after the conventional dialing string destination digits. In mobile
communication systems, such as the GSM (Global System for Mobile
communications) system, the reception of calls has become less
dependent on location, and mobile communication systems have set
the scene for the rise of a new form of communication, the short
message service. In accordance with natural development, new
systems bring about new services and solutions that improve
customer satisfaction.
In the ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) system and most
mobile communication systems, information regarding identifying the
calling party, i.e. the A-number, can be transmitted along with
call-specific signaling. In practice, this appears at the receiving
terminal as an identifier of the calling party. Moreover, after the
completion of call setup various functions can be selected by a
caller or user via tone frequency selections based, for example, on
a tone frequency menu. In such cases the telephone exchange may
communicate with an intelligent peripheral (IP) or the like which
is controlled by the tone frequency signals that it receives.
Nevertheless, the transmission of supplementary information to the
receiving party's terminal following call setup is slow and, if the
receiving number is a specially priced service number, often
expensive. Using a data connection or a GSM text message, it is
possible to communicate with, for example, an automated application
or device. Such communication suffers from the slowness of call
setup and variations in the transmission time of GSM text messages.
An even more severe and significant problem is that, due to
limitations relating to the permissible or acceptable length of the
dialing string number, the amount of information that can be
transmitted in the B-number or C-number of an initiated call is
often insufficient to support or enable the remote operation of
many automated applications.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly the desideratum of the present invention to
eliminate, or at least significantly alleviate, the drawbacks and
deficiencies of heretofore known methods and apparatus, including
by way of example those discussed above.
It is a specific object of the invention to provide a new type of
method and system that will allow the transmission of larger
amounts of information accompanying or together with a call
request, particularly for use in communicating with various
automated devices and applications.
In accordance with the inventive method, the A-number field that
accompanies or is sent with a call request is used in a new and
heretofore unknown way. Specifically, the A-number field can be
replaced with subscriber-specific information, or such
subscriber-specific information can be added to the normal A-number
field. The invention thus makes it unnecessary to, for example,
connect or open a separate speech channel for the transmission of
additional information to accompany a call request; instead, the
answering of the call is implemented as an acknowledgement that is
sent to the call-initiating A-party and the telephone exchange. In
addition, the numerical data that is carried in the modified
A-number field can be readily analyzed using conventional methods
and devices.
Broadly speaking, the method of the invention relates to the
transmission of subscriber-specific supplementary information in a
telecommunication system. The telecommunication system may by way
of preferred and currently contemplated example comprise a
telecommunication network, first and second telecommunication
terminals, a conversion/transmission center and an actuating
device. The first and second telecommunication terminals are
connected to the conversion/transmission center via the
telecommunication network, and the actuating device of the system
is connected to the second telecommunication terminal.
In implementing the inventive method, information is transmitted
from the first telecommunication terminal to the second
telecommunication terminal, and optional numbers or digits are
added to the intended receiver's normal identification number, i.e.
the B-number which the A-party caller normally places in the
dialing string to initiate a call. In the conversion/transmission
center, the A-number field that is to be further transmitted is
modified by appending to it the supplementary information that was
appended to the B-number at the caller's first telecommunication
terminal. Alternatively, the A-number field may be modified by
replacing it with completely new information, as for example with
the numbers that were appended to the B-number in the caller's
dialing string. Information dependent on the geographic location of
the first telecommunication terminal and/or on the time and/or
other factors may also be added to the A-number field or may
entirely replace that field. The actuating device that is connected
to the second telecommunication terminal is controlled on the basis
of the supplementary information contained in the modified A-number
field that is transmitted to the second telecommunication terminal.
A confirmation of execution of a control request (in accordance
with the supplementary information) may be sent to the first
telecommunication terminal, thereby providing for ready
verification for the calling party of whether the desired control
function has been successfully executed.
The system of the present invention comprises means for modifying
the A-number field that is to be transmitted from the
conversion/transmission center to the second telecommunication
terminal by adding the supplemental or control information to that
field, and means for controlling the actuating device with the
information contained in the A-number field. Alternatively, the
A-number field may be modified by replacing the original A-number
field with the supplemental or control information.
The inventive system further comprises means for adding, to the
A-number field to be transmitted from the conversion/transmission
center, information dependent on the geographic location of the
first telecommunication terminal and/or on the time and/or other
factors. The conversion/transmission center of the inventive system
may for example be implemented by or in a telephone exchange, a
message center, or a Voice Response Unit (VRU) such as an IBM
Direct Talk product. In addition, the first and second
telecommunication terminals may be mobile stations, or the first
telecommunication terminal may be a telephone apparatus in the
public switched telephone network.
As compared with prior art methods and systems, the present
invention advantageously increases the amount of information that
may be transmitted in conjunction or together with call initiating
requests. A further advantage of the invention is that no separate
speech channel need be utilized or connected for the transmission
of such information. Yet another advantage of the present invention
is that the information that is carried in the modified A-number
field can be readily analyzed using simple methods and means.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become
apparent from the following detailed description considered in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood,
however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of
illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the
invention, for which reference should be made to the appended
claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a currently preferred embodiment of a
system in accordance with the present invention; and
FIG. 2 depicts the method of operation of the system of FIG. 1 to
utilize the functionality of an application presented by way of
illustrative example.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The system shown in FIG. 1 includes a telecommunication network 1
and a conversion/transmission center 2 that is connected to network
1. Telecommunication network 1 may for example be a Public Switched
Telecommunications Network (PSTN) or a Public Land Mobile Network
(PLMN). The FIG. 1 system further includes a first
telecommunication terminal 3 and a second telecommunication
terminal 4, which are connected via the telecommunication network 1
to the conversion/transmission center 2. The system additionally
includes an actuating device 5--for, or implementing, an automated
application--that is connected to the second telecommunication
terminal 4.
Also included in the inventive system is a means 6 for modifying
the A-number field that is to be sent from the
conversion/transmission center 2 to the second telecommunication
terminal 4 by adding control information to that A-number field, a
means 7 for controlling the actuating device 5 based on the
information contained in the modified A-number field, and a means 8
for adding, to the A-number field to be transmitted, information
dependent on the geographic location of the first telecommunication
terminal 3 and/or on the time and/or other factors. The means 6, 7
and 8 may be implemented in any known or apparent manner and will
not therefore be further described in unnecessary detail.
FIG. 2 depicts the operation of the system of FIG. 1 to provide or
take advantge of desired functionality for an automated application
that is presented by way of illustrative example. In this
particular example, a caller wishes to control a jukebox and, at
step 20, calls from his mobile telecommunications terminal or other
telephonic device using the dialing string or number
0600-800-20-1234. In the A-number field in call setup, the number
0400-665100 (i.e. the A-number which identifies the calling party)
is transmitted (step 21). The exchange in the network, here by way
of illustration an intelligent-network (IN), changes the number
data in the A-number field into the number 20-1234 (step 23). At
step 22, a number conversion is performed whereby the initially
selected services number is set to the final number, i.e. the
C-number. Here, the extra or additional numbers, 20-1234, that were
appended to the telephone number string that was dialed by the
initiating caller indicate that the caller is supplying to the
jukebox by telephone a monetary input of 20 Finnish marks and
wishes to have jukebox selection number "1234" played. The
apparatus at the receiving end may for example be a telephone
component that forms a part of or is contained in the automated
jukebox apparatus, which receives the incoming information and
controls the automated apparatus in accordance with the information
that is contained in the modified A-number field. In this
particular example, the service selected by the caller is charged
for the selected service in the caller's telephone bill. The
apparatus at the receiving end may alternatively be implemented as
a numerical display device or a computer provided with the required
software.
In an embodiment of the system according to FIG. 1, the A-party
(0400-665100) calls the predetermined number of an automatic snack
machine (0600-88500-XX) and wishes to pay or submit the monetary
amount 18 marks by way of this call. Thus, in accordance with the
invention the A-party dials the string or number 0600-88500-18.
That number is converted in the conversion/transmission center, as
for example in the telephone exchange, into the actual C-number of
the automated snack device, which in this example is 040E-123465.
The exchange announces the A-party identification as the number
0400-665100-18, and the automated device knows that the two last
digits of the A-number represent the amount to be paid for the
purchase as specified by the A-party. After the automated device
has deciphered the A-number, its display will present a message,
such as "Paid FIM 18", thereby indicating that the caller may now
select products purchasable for the sum of FIM 18 from the device
or machine.
While there have shown and described and pointed out fundamental
novel features of the invention as applied to preferred embodiments
thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and
substitutions and changes in the form and details of the methods
described and devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be
made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit
of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all
combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform
substantially the same function in substantially the same way to
achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention.
Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements
and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any
disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated
in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment
as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention,
therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the
claims appended hereto.
* * * * *